MOBILE EDUCATION PROGRAMME TO ELIMINATE 200 WORKING CHILDREN FROM THE HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIES
“If children are not coming to the School, We take the School to the Children”
INTRODUCTION
“Action for Child Labour” (Cholai) is a Non-Governmental Organization registered under trust act in 1987. It is also registered under F.C.R.A. and also exempted under 80G of the income tax act. The main objective of the organization is to eliminate the child labour from the hazardous and dehumanizing working condition, and provide health, education and recreation, in short and enjoyable childhood. Since 1987 we have been working in 28 villages of the sub-urban of South Chennai City, which belong to St.Thomas Mount and Kundrathur Blocks. Mr. T.V. Murali, the Managing Trustee, is the main person in charge of the project. He had undergone training in community development at M/s.SEARCH, Bangalore. He also worked in a project with children in Match Industries at Sivakasi.
About Our present area background
We are working in 28 villages in the sub urban of Chennai City and involved with children who are working hazardous occupation like stone quarries, brick industries, Handloom silk industries, and Zari embroidery. The following are the situation of these children:
The Children’s Working condition in Stone Quarries
There are about 20 stone crushing units in our working area, big stones are brought from the main quarry and broken into small pieces (Zalli) in the crushing units. Nearly 180 children mainly girls aged 10 to 15 years are in this work. They usually carry the broken stones from the machines and heap it in one place. This work is very hard; they have to work whole day in the sun carrying stones. They are paid very less that is Rs.1 per load of stones they usually earn Rs.8 to 10 per day for this they have to work from 6 am to 4 pm. The chances of getting chest diseases especially TB is high in these industries. In addition small accidents and getting hurt is very common.
The Children’s Working Condition in Brick Industries
There are about 142 Brick-kilns in our working area. Nearly 600 children are working in these industries. Usually these children accompany their migrant parents at an early age and later become workers. Since the work is on piece rate they just help their parents. It is a great help for their families. They start working at early morning 6 AM to evening 6 PM. Their main work is to carry raw bricks and put them in the sun for drying and also help their parents for mixing the mud and loading the finished bricks. Most of the children are malnourished and because of the dust in their work place they also suffer from respiratory and other infections. Small accidents are very common most of them have skin problems and infected wounds.
Situation of Handloom Working Children
In our working 5 villages there are about 2124 Handlooms. The total population of these villages according to survey and census is 26,907 of these 24,000 are belonging to the harijan community. Their main occupation is agriculture and working in handloom silk industries. The worst affected are children. Previously children learned the craft from their parents. But now children are employed as cheap labourers most of them are bonded labourers. There are 867 children aged 5 to 14 years are working in 700 handloom silk looms from these villages. The reason for child labour is their parent’s low earnings. The wages are on piece rate. It is the master weavers who employ the children. They provide advance to the parents and employ their children for piece rate wages. Usually a child is paid from Rs.5 to Rs.10. For this they have to work from morning 7 am to evening 4 pm. Children main work is to put knots while weaving the border of silk sarees. Handloom is classified as hazardous industries in the child labour prohibition and regulation act 1986 because it creates respiratory disease like asthma and Tuberculosis and also when they come back from work to their homes; they don’t get time to play. Because of their repetitive mechanical kind of work their physical and psychological growth curtailed..
Situation of Working Children in Zari Embroidery
There are about 312 Zari – embroidery centre in our five working villages. The Zari – embroidery work is done as a cottage industries work. The worst affected are children nearly 1,060 girl children in the age group of 10 – 16 are employed in these Zari – embroidery industries. Secondly, by the nature of their work and enough to run they loose their eyesight at an early age. Lastly among the child workers at Zari workshop have been found to be suffering from Spondylitis.
PRESENT ACTIVITIES
Recreation Learning Centres for working children
We are running 23 recreational learning centres for the children working in Brick kilns, Quarry work,Handloom and Zarie. These centres are conducted during evening that is between 5 to 8 pm. Nearly 350 working children attend these centres. Children come there and play games. Learn songs and also learn literacy and numeracy.
Women Sangams
In all our working areas we had initiated women organization. Through these sangams we are encouraging saving schemes and also trying to motivate and organize them to take up their issues and solving it. We also provide leadership training for these women.
Health Education
With the help of Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Centre, we are conducting health camps in the Villages. In a year we will conduct 6 to 8 camps. Nearly 10,000 families will benefit from camps. Major cases will be taken to the Medical Research Centre.
Education programme for school children about child labour
In a year we select and organize education programme in 10 schools (mostly govt. schools) and educate about 2,000 students on the problem of child labour through photo exhibition, video posters.
Campaign Work
We are very much involved in campaign work for elimination of child labour. Through our newsletter, posters, stickers and our cultural troop, we educate the public on the problem of child labour.
Our Achievements
· 182 working children were taken away from the hazardous industries and put them back into formal schools.
· So far we have been bringing 818 working children to our Recreational Learning Centre.
· 52 children from the hazardous industries got trained up in alternative skills and were also employed in Screen Printing Unit and Motor Mechanism shops.
· 14 children were made to appear to the 8th standard exams privately.
· ACL was the first to start Bridge Course Centres (State Level) for the working Children.
· 50 Women got trained and formed a women quarry society for Income Generation Programme.
· 2 Government Crèches (Child Care Centres) are brought in by our effort.
About Mobile Education Programme (MEP)
The whole idea of the programme is “If children are not coming to the School We take the School to the Children”. From our experience we came to know that, for most of the working children it is difficult to attend the Non-formal centers. That is because of their long working hours. So what we had done took education to their working places, provided education through recreational learning activities. In order to provide Mobile Education we will arrange a classroom in a mini Van. The Van will be taken to the working children and provided education for 60 – 90 minutes. The Van will have audio visual equipment, black board and other learning & teaching materials which would help to create a learning atmosphere, where 25 – 30 children can sit and learn. We will also design a learning kit, which they can carry with them and learn from it. We will also take the MOBILE EDUCATION BUS to 7 to 8 places in a day and provide education for 100 – 150 working children who were working in Quarry, Brick industries, Handloom sectors, Zari Embroidery.During this period the working children were taught literacy, numeracy and also motivated them to continue their education.
Out Come
· 200 Working children will retain their childhood by getting education ,health, and recreation
· Each year we 75-100 working children will be enrolled in formal
· 200 working children will benefit from health camp.
S.No / Programme / Expenses / In Rupees / In Dollars1. / Salary for Five Teachers / 2500x5Teachersx12 Months / 1,50,000 / 4,285
2. / Mobile Education Materials / Rs.200x200 / 40,000 / 1142
3. / Fuel Expenses / Rs.5,000x12months / 60,000 / 1,714
4. / Driver Salary / Rs.5,000x12months / 60,000 / 1,714
5. / Health Camp / Rs.5000x 6 Camps / 30,000 / 857
6 / Administration / Rs.1000x12Months / 12,000 / 342
7 / Van / Rs.6,00,000 / 6,00,000 / 15,000
Grant Total / 9,52.000 / 18,054
(Rupee three Lakhs and fifty Thousand only)
Eigteen thousand and Fifty Four US dollors